Conclave
The choosing of a new Pope is probably the most definitive combination of politics and religion in the realm of faith. Certainly there are theocratic regimes around the world, but in the Catholic Church, the election of a Pope is not unlike the election of a head of state- what is the direction the church leaders want to take the church? That is at the heart of “Conclave,” but there’s also a question of whether the politics takes over the discussion when it comes to choosing a religious leader.
We begin as we follow Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), a Cardinal-Dean at Vatican City, as he anxiously makes his way to the Holy Father’s room. He has deceased, and other leading members of the Church are there to pray for him, and be with him as the last rites are given, and the procedure of electing a new Pope looms over. Immediately, we start to see certain dynamics arise, starting with Lawrence’s discussion with Bellini (Stanley Tucci), a liberal leader whom was close to the deceased pontiff. As the conclave starts to take shape, front-runners emerge in Adeyemi, a Nigerian who holds socially-conservative views; Bellini; Tremblay (John Lithgow), a mainstream conservative; and Tedesco, a traditionalist who wants to return to the days before Vatican II. Leading the conclave is Lawrence, whom must lead but also remain objective. Throwing a wrench into things is the arrival of Archbishop Benitez from Kabul, whom was allegedly made a cardinal in secret. Secrets kept and revealed will make the conclave a tense experience for all around, especially as it feels like each revelation takes a new front-runner down.
In his adaptation of Robert Harris’s novel, screenwriter Peter Straughan has made this film a lean, tense piece of pulp that meets at the intersection of exploring faith, political compromise and the challenges of objectivity in life. In his speech to lead off the conclave, Lawrence says, “Over the course of many years, in the service of our mother the Church, let me tell you, there is one sin which I have come to fear above all others. Certainty. Certainty is the great enemy of unity. Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance. Even Christ was not certain at the end. He cried out in his agony at the ninth hour on the cross. Our faith is a living thing precisely because it walks hand in hand with doubt. If there was only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery. And therefore no need for faith. Let us pray that God will grant us a pope who doubts. And let him grant us a pope who sins and asks for forgiveness and who carries on.” This is at the heart of faith, a personal belief that something will guide us through life, and the decisions we make. Certainty in our lives means that growth is stunted; through growth is change, adaptation, and a greatest sense of belief in ourselves and our choices, and how those choices impact others. “Conclave” is the story of how Lawrence’s choices impact not just the task that has fallen to him in this moment, but the direction of the Church beyond this moment. Fiennes is electric with a quiet, measured intensity as Lawrence navigates a multitude of minefields over the three days. He was very much the only choice for this character, and the scenes he has with Lithgow, Tucci, Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes (a nun leading the support team for the concave) and Carlos Diehz as Benitez all add depth and purpose to his narrative, his crisis of faith, and feeling it restored.
The director of this film is Edward Berger, the German director of 2022’s “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Here, he is working with a much smaller space to create this world, but he does so ably and in a compelling way. The production design, the cinematography (by Stéphane Fontaine) and the music (by Oscar-winner Volker Bertelmann) all add to the claustrophobic atmosphere of the film, and Berger understands the ridiculous nature of this particular story, and plays to it, without forgetting the issues at play of holding one’s moral center, especially at times of great challenges. “Conclave” engaged me with that idea more than anything.
